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Machinery enthusiast Michael Waters from Tullamore, Co Offaly, beat the odds when he was diagnosed with cancer at 21 years of age and given a 25% chance of survival. Almost 20 years later, Michael, who also runs the Old Harbour Bar, is proud to say that he and his team have raised over €230,000 for Cancer Care through the annual Tullamore Tractor Run, which will be held on 28 December.
“Growing up, I was always interested in tractors, more so the older ones than the modern ones. I would go to different shows, like the Moynalty steam show and down at the vintage section of the ploughing match.
“School and I never got along. I went to work in Carroll Meats when I was 15, until I got my visa. I then headed for America at 18. I came home in 1997 for my 21st birthday for a two-week holiday. I went back to America then and I was diagnosed with cancer. I went for tests and treatments out there. I had several operations. Eventually it all caught up with me again. I needed more treatment, but decided no, I wanted to go back home to my parents, because I figured I was dying.
“The hospital weren’t too keen on me going home, but we got in contact with a cousin of mine who worked with Dr Peter Daly in the Oncology Unit of St James’. He said: ‘Let him home, we will look after him.’ I came home on Sunday and was in St James’ getting ready for treatment by Tuesday. I had treatment on and off until August 1998, when I was supposedly cleared of cancer.
“But the last tumour was on my aorta and it hadn’t disintegrated with the treatment. So, in January ’99, I was operated on again, in Tallaght hospital. While they were operating, my aorta burst. The surgeon called my parents and family in. Fourteen hours later they wheeled me out of the operating theatre and into ICU. I woke up the next morning with mammy and everyone around me. I couldn’t talk, so I had a blackboard, which I wrote ‘sore leg’ on. My leg then had to be operated on.
“There were a couple of hard weeks after that. I was on crutches for a good few months. I remember my neighbour rang me to go draw silage and I jumped at the opportunity to get out of the house. That was 1999 and from there on the machinery obsession really kicked in.
“When I came home from America, I started buying tractors and doing them up. I thoroughly enjoy what I do in the pub, meeting people and chatting, but I have a huge interest in farming and when I am finished with the pub trade, I will hopefully go back to the farm. I would rather be outside, with no phone for the day. My uncle Joe is a cattle man and that is where my interest lies. Now saying that, I have a huge interest in tillage too. I would sit watching the boys cut corn all day.
“It was out of pure stubbornness that the tractor run started. There was slagging going on in the pub saying: ‘You wouldn’t organise anything around here.’ So a few of us had a meeting and organised the first Tullamore Tractor Run on 28 December 2007 – €32,000 came in over the table that day.
“Over €230,000 has been raised for Dochas/Cancer Care since we started. It has become an event on the Christmas calendar in Tullamore. It is my way of giving back to the community. We trade fairly well at the Old Harbour Bar and I was well looked after when I had cancer.
“We have about 280 vehicles every year, with a new bunch of lads and girls from the farming community turning 16 and getting their tractor licence, which increases our entries every year. We have the full backing of the local gardaí and County Council. All the local businesses are behind us as well. It is a whole community and family event.
“We can organise the tractor run all we want, but if it wasn’t for the good will of the community we would be at nothing. That same community shone through again at the time of Ploughing 2018 when storm Ali took the Harbour Bar (that was set up on the site) out of it. The phone started hopping early in the morning with family, friends and customers willing to help and we had it all back up and running in a few hours. How do you thank the people for that? That’s why I do this, to try say thank you.
“I was cured with a trial drug. Standard chemo wasn’t going to work. I started off with a 90% chance of survival and that went down to 25%. I was one of the lucky ones. Life is good now, I am married to Barbara and we have little Jack, who is six.
“Definitely at 21 years old, I didn’t think I was sick. I was young, mule strong and working hard. Men just don’t look after themselves. They would bring the jeep for an NCT, but won’t go to a doctor. We men need to take own health more seriously.”
Tullamore Tractor Run 2018 takes place on Friday 28 December in Tullamore town. To find out more, find Tullamore Tractor Run on Facebook. To donate please contact PJ Lynam at 086-2571 254.
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